Ocean’s largest dead zones mapped, LED-illuminated gillnets reduce bycatch, smog and lack of snow impact winter Olympics, health benefits of…

[View this email in your browser]( Wednesday, January 26, 2022 "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." – Ansel Adams LED-Illuminated Gillnets Reduce Bycatch of Sea Turtles, Sharks and Other Marine Life, Study Finds It’s no secret that fishing gear often results in the entanglement of untargeted marine species, including those that are endangered, threatened and protected like seabirds, [sea turtles]( sharks and marine mammals. Gillnets are one of the most widely used types of fishing gear in the world and are often the culprit in this unwanted bycatch. [Read More]( Related: [Sounds from Human Activity Highly Disruptive to ‘Unicorns of the Sea’]( Trump’s Border Wall Kept Endangered Wolf From Finding Home and a Mate [Scientists]( now have proof that the border wall built by former President [Donald Trump]( is impeding the movements of [wildlife](. Data from a tracking collar on a Mexican gray [wolf]( named Mr. Goodbar revealed that he spent four days in November pacing along 23 miles of newly-constructed border wall in New Mexico, likely frustrated in his attempts to find a home and a mate. [Read More]( Related: [Solar Farms Create Conflict for Endangered Florida Panthers, Scientists Find]( Ocean’s Largest Dead Zones Mapped by MIT Scientists When you think of the tropical Pacific, you might picture a rainbow of fish ribboning their way between pinnacles of coral, or large sea turtles swimming beneath diamonds of sunlight. But there are two mysterious zones in the Pacific [Ocean]( where life like this cannot survive. That is because they are the two largest oxygen-deficient zones (ODZ) in the world, which means they are a no-go zone for most anaerobic (oxygen-dependent) organisms. Two Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) [scientists]( recently succeeded in making the most detailed atlas to date of these important oceanic regions, revealing crucial new facts about them in the process. The new high-resolution [atlas]( was described last month in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles. [Read More]( Related: [Study Confirms Southern Ocean’s Status as One of Earth’s Most Important Carbon Sinks]( Smog and Lack of Snow Impact Winter Olympics The Winter Olympics, set to begin on February 4, are facing a host of environmental challenges. Dangerous smog levels have hit Beijing, where the events will take place, and a lack of snow and even water and cold temperatures required to make artificial snow have posed further problems. Experts are also concerned about the viability to host such winter sporting events in the coming decades. Just as the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is about to begin, air quality has reached “very unhealthy” levels, with thick smog blanketing the skies. Officials are now [scrambling to improve air quality]( in time for the events, as levels of PM2.5 reach 205 micrograms per cubic meter, much higher than the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. [Read More]( Related: [Artificial Snow, Used for Winter Sports in a Warming World, Endangers Athletes]( 5 Essential Health Benefits of Hawthorn Berry Hawthorn grows as both a shrub and tree across North America, Europe and Asia. As a member of the Rosaceae (rose) family, it protects itself with sharp thorns. Hawthorn possesses a somewhat overlooked medicinal secret: Hawthorn berries, packed with both a mild sweetness and a tangy tartness. From heart tonic to anxiety relief, here are five health benefits of hawthorn berry. [Read More]( Related: [5 Health Benefits of Moringa Supported by Science]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2022 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](